HempCon Los Angeles, Ca May 24th-26th 2013
The High Class Providers team took another trip to HempCon over Memorial Day weekend, but this time it was in our hometown at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Again HempCon brought together Cannabis themed vendors, amazing musical performances, and informative speakers touching on topics of law, cultivation and activism.
Attending all three days of the event gave us time to get really familiar with the vendors, exhibitors, and attendees each with a number of reasons to celebrate and promote the cannabis cultures and industries. A few people and experiences really made a lasting impression.Â
We were honored to get a chance to spend some time with legendary Richard Eastman, a long time Medical Marijuana activist.   In the mid 90’s Eastman worked closely with Dennis Peron in San Francisco and he assisted in the opening of the 1st three Medical Marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles. The Compassionate Use Act was a very important mile stone for Mr. Eastman, who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1994. He told us how he was, “close to death yet never lost the will to live. To fight on, for his rights and the rights of others to use cannabis as medicine.” What stands out about Mr. Eastman is his passion and love for the movement, he has met with politicians and international dignitaries in support of political reform and the decriminalization of cannabis. He lives a “Healthy not Wealthy” lifestyle, focused on humanitarian efforts rather than the Cannabis Cash Cow as so many others see it. His passion, drive and determination are contagious and The High Class Providers Team were blessed to experience that energy first hand.
(Photo: Richard Eastman and Redman aka Reggie Noble. Â Photo by Gil Konspiracy)
Another stand out form of activism is from performers and artists that take the risk to publicly promote their views and practices to their fan base. Party rocker and ganja smoker, Redman rocked the crowd with marijuana anthems like “How High” and shared his opinion that “California’s got the best bud I have tasted on this g’damn planet.” Reggae artist and devoted Rastafarian, Spragga Benz performed and expressed his views regarding the laws against a plant he considers to be a holy sacrament. During his set he expressed his views on the holy plant.  This is HempCon. What you are here advocating for? The legalization of marijuana right? Medical?, No, I’m not into this medical marijuana. I am into Ganja. I’m not into classifying the lord’s creation. It’s a creation of the lord, it’s a herb. I don’t really think I’m supposed to explain myself to Babylon. Ganja is just a means of making money for people who enforce codes, not laws. Because there is no law that says that. No law that says I can’t smoke, I can smoke. There is a code, they says I will penalize me, if they caught me smoking. Right? So that’s a code. So the code is only established to make money from the people. Oh, I’m sorry I plant a seed that god created put it in the ground the lord water it, it grows and I pick a leaf or a bud and I roll it up and I smoke it. Now who did I hurt? Nobody. The only crime involves a victim.” He concluded his moving address to the crowd with. “When I smoke some weed there is no crime in that. Don’t let Babylon hold you down!!”
(Photo: Spragga Benz & Freddy Sayegh. Â Photo by: Gil Konspiracy)
Like any cannabis themed event the message was unified in support of this amazing plant. Each time an event like this takes place we are one step closer to freedom.